Looking back at spoga+gafa 2024

Speaking of relaxed: At spoga+gafa, it was once again evident that outdoor areas are becoming increasingly comfortable as an extension of the living room. Upholstered furniture and lounge series for outdoors are not only becoming more and more comfortable, but also increasingly versatile with clever features. The side table becomes a stool in the blink of an eye and the seat of the sofa becomes an upholstered lounger. This could be seen, for example, at the stand of Kettler, which celebrated its 75th anniversary with a large presence at the trade fair. Multifunctional furniture could also be admired at other stands - for example at Hartman with the new "Tubb" chair, which is a hybrid of a dining and lounge chair - a real design innovation for the garden.

Responsible Gardens - spoga+gafa took this year's key theme seriously by participating in a reforestation project. The theme of responsible gardening was also reflected in numerous new products from international exhibitors. With products that make outdoor living more sustainable, user-friendly and safer, they demonstrated the innovative spirit of the green sector. For example, the current possibilities of recycling were presented at the trade fair. Companies such as Elho, Groupe Eda, Scheurich and Teraplast presented plant pots and flower pots in many modern shapes and colors made from recycled and recyclable plastic. Innovations such as the "Recyclution 0.5" hand sprayer from Birchmeier for plant protection and plant strengthening agents are in no way inferior to conventional products.

The increased use of natural materials for new outdoor products was also evident at the trade fair. Paper baskets made of eucalyptus sticks from Afica Style or the sun sails made of jute and coconut fibers from French manufacturer Morel focus on natural aesthetics in the garden environment. As a particularly stable and durable natural material, teak from certified sources is used for many new items of garden furniture - for example in the premium collection Era by Stern with furniture in handcrafted quality and a high-quality look. With its extended "greenline" series, outdoor furniture specialist ZEBRA shows how teak from old buildings, bridges or ships can be recycled into new furniture.

When it comes to sun protection, spoga+gafa 2024 showed that sunshades are now available for all age and target groups. With a focus on younger consumers and an attractive price range, Doppler presented various models from the "myZone" sunshade series at the trade fair. With the new "Smart" model, the Swiss manufacturer Glatz presented a modern compact sunshade with a minimalist design. The patented click system of the "Phoenix" parasol from Knirps is easy to handle, even for older people. The new "Venice Green Style" parasol from Schneider Schirme features a cover made from 100 percent recycled PET.

Extreme heat and dry spells have brought the topic of garden irrigation into focus in recent years. Innovations such as the 4-way pressure compensation drip distributors from the manufacturer Plastico optimize the efficiency and precision of irrigation. Recycling plays a major role in garden hoses, as with the new series from FITT made from recycled or PVC-free plastic. The new watering indicator from Japanese manufacturer "SUStee", which indicates the optimum watering times based on the Pf value, is a small but effective solution for the home. New products for pools such as the heat pump for heating and cooling, which was presented by the Austrian Steinbach Group, also fit in with the theme of water. The efficient model saves energy and is available for different pool sizes.

Today, there are more and more modular solutions for gardening in order to make optimum use of the available space. New raised bed systems such as "ErnteMAXX" from Biogreen or "GardenBox" from Upyard in Latvia offer many design options thanks to their simple assembly and different shapes and sizes. Self-sufficiency with herbs and vegetables is also supported by the new growing products from Romberg's "Green Edition", which also score points with sustainable materials. Nutrients for cultivation are provided by new products such as the "In-ground worm farm" from Plastia, which uses earthworms to turn organic material into compost.

Barbecuing and cooking in your own garden are becoming increasingly popular. This was demonstrated by the numerous exhibitors in the garden bbq theme world. Traditional shapes and appliances are experiencing a revival and an update at the same time - for example the XXL Aztec oven from the Mexico Trade Center, the table grill in Japanese teppanyaki design from abien or the portable pizza oven from Italian manufacturer Carluccio Forni. The classic charcoal grill and smoker from Kamado Joe is offered as a "Konnected" model with digital technology for an optimized grilling experience. And for roasting, smoking and baking bread outdoors, the good old wood-fired oven is now also available as a design version from Cheeky Charlie.

Today, traditional charcoal barbecues are joined by a variety of BBQ appliances and outdoor kitchens for different fuels, sizes and price ranges. Napoleon presented the "Phantom Rogue® SE 425 RSIB" propane gas barbecue at the trade fair, with infrared side and rear burners, maintenance-free grill grates and a multifunctional barbecue frame. For smaller areas, LotusGrill presented a compact tabletop grill that can be fired with either charcoal or gas. For those who like it bigger, modern outdoor kitchens offer a variety of cooking, baking and grilling modules that can be flexibly set up and extended. At spoga+gafa, the premium manufacturer Flammkraft presented the "Block R" outdoor kitchen module with extendable wok burner as a world first. Another new launch was the compact "Bobby" wood-fired oven from Der Merklinger, which is ideal for the balcony or camping and complements the manufacturer's modular outdoor kitchen.

With its wide range of innovations, spoga+gafa once again confirmed its position as the most important platform for the global garden lifestyle. Together with the green sector, the key theme "Responsible Gardens" was brought to life. The trade fair thus once again offered practical concepts and answers to the industry's pressing questions. The next spoga+gafa will take place in June 2025 under the theme "Design Gardens". With a focus on aesthetic and innovative design solutions and a look back at past design concepts, the trade fair will then underline the high quality and design standards of the garden and BBQ world